The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday amended charges against the Chief Medical Director of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Prof. Thomas Agan, and four other defendants standing trial in an N85million procurement scam.

The four other defendants are staff of the Teaching Hospital: Ofor Jonan Ofor, Head, Works and Engineering and Francis I. Utu, Chief Administrative Officer and Head, Legal Services.

The other two are Okocha Anthony and Emmanuel Etta Nkim, who are both promoters and owners of Anchor Industrial and Construction Services Nigeria Ltd and Basemark Energy Nigeria Ltd, respectively: the two companies allegedly used to perpetrate the fraud. They are all standing trial before Justice I. E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross Rivers State.

In the amended charges, the original five counts were expanded to include two new defendants: Prof. Archibong E. Achibong, Director of Administration at the Teaching Hospital and Effiong Okon Udobong, Head of Procurement at the Teaching Hospital. The two new defendants now serve as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

The amended charges were stiffly contested by the defence counsel, Mba Ukwueni, SAN, who argued that the prosecution had no legal right to amend the charges without the leave of the court. He cited section 216 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 to bolster his submission.

However, the prosecution counsel, Kayode Oni, floored him by citing the Uguru vs State 2002 NWLR part 771p 90 act 95, where the Supreme Court empowered the court to alter, amend or add to any charge in any criminal case before it, at any time, before judgement is given.

Justice Ekwo upheld the submission of the prosecution counsel and ordered the two new defendants to take their pleas. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the five-count charges.

Count one read: "that you, Prof. Thomas U. Agan as Chief Medical Director University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Prof. Archibong E. Archibong being the Director of Administration , Effiong Okon Udo Obong, Head of Procurement, Offor Jonah Offor as Head of Works and Engineering, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Okocha Anthony, being the Managing Director of Anchor Industrial and Construction Services Nig. Ltd, Emmanuel Etta Nkim, being the Managing Director of Basemark Construction Nig. Ltd; sometime in the month of October 2015 in Calabar, Cross River State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to bid-rig for the purchase of one Advanced Life Support Ambulance and one Toyota Coaster Bus 30 Seaters to Messrs Basemark Construction Services Nig. Ltd contrary to section 58(4) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 and thereby committing an offence punishable under section 58(5) of the same Act."

The two defendants were admitted to bail in the same conditions as other defendants and remanded in prison custody until the bail conditions are met. All other four defendants, together with the two companies, were allowed to continue on the initial bail granted them when they were first arraigned on April 3, 2017.

Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter to June 15, 2017, for a continuation of trial.

Professor Agan and his co-travelers were arraigned on April 3, 2017, on a five- count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, bid-rigging, abuse of office and breach of due process, contrary to Procurement Act 2007.

They are alleged to have used their positions to corruptly influence the award of the purchase of an Advance Life Support Ambulance vehicles and one Toyota Coaster Bus to Anchor Industrial and Construction Services Limited and Basemark Energy Nigeria Limited by inflating their costs and without following due procurement processes to the tune of N85, 062,000.00, thereby contravening the Public Procurement Act 2007.

http://politicsngr.com/2017/06/14/ucth-chief-medical-directorothers-arraigned-n85-million-scam/

all this useless, heartless m.D's,....that was,how one just carry contracts, worth millions,give him silly concubine..

Nice one

Scammers everywhere.

Kai corruption is very bad lets go for change,i stand with buhari for change although he dose'nt know the real meaning of change

Afonga and their scamming talent everywhere those are evan brothers

G

Corruption everywhere in this country, even in the medical world... This is beyond the physical, there's a spirit controlling people to just do the wrong things in this country and they cannot but obey because their minds aligns with the spirit of corruption...
This is why this country needs continuous intercession. Life is spiritual fellas.

E don happen for their head.

Medical Director or Scam Director

H

ok

Our biggest problem is corruption, imagine Calabar people will blame government for not providing amenities in this hospital not knowing government has already done her part but one useless CMD has diverted the money for the amenities to his own private use.

stephleena:
all this useless, heartless m.D's,....that was,how one just carry contracts, worth millions,give him silly concubine..

NOT GUILTY YET

Up next UPTH! Aaron OJU-OLE must dance to the music.! Massive corruption has left the hospital in a rather Sorry state.

Corruption and personal interest everywhere.

Na wa. i tire for this country. i really tire. Government=corrupt
civil servant=corrupt
education sector=corrupt
judiciary=corrupt
transportation=corrupt
health sector corrupt.
church=corrupt
mosque=corrupt
shrine=corrupt
NIGERIA=CORRUPTION

Many CMD's are very corrupt!

No age limit for stealing in Nigeria, virtually span over all age groups........God help us

Na real wa. No one is left out of this hurricane of corrupt practices and devious money-making schemes sweeping across the nation.


I dey watch NTA news dem dey do this 'Change Begins With Me' advert; be like make I burst TV, bring Baba comot, strangle am with rope.


People dey here dey make money you dey talk of which stupid change. Shey na change mens go chop? If doctor wey suppose dey save life dey run this kyn p, wetin we wey no get work go do


I hate to have to say this, but Buhari and all our past leaders will never go unpunished. With this yahoo doctor too.

V

Lmao!! Everybody ti wa di scammer ni country yi bai . Way forward my people. . .way forward! #dammykranemotivation

You need to see the way they treat Patients at these Teaching Hospitals and it's not even cheap to get treatment as you would expect. The whole body is corrupt.

RIP Grandpa. Passed on today after battling illness for months at one of these teaching hospitals

mehnn... i weak

Good one

I propose that they drop the charges. After all , Saraki was found innocent so why harass these people over N85million ?

000

leonard002:
mehnn... i weak

observe wella

The CMD UBTH Dr Ibadin is next. I know he has strong backing but efcc come and do ur work in benin pls

graft is a disease nobody can cure in nigeria

Free fraud every where.... Evans cousin ....emoney Uncle